Jerry Rice: The 49ers “have an identity now”

Hall of Famer and former 49ers great, Jerry Rice, had nothing but good things to say about his former teams’ efforts over the past two weeks during a phone interview today.

While he mentioned that they still have a long season ahead of them and are sure to face challenges down the road, he emphasized that the team has established “an identity now” and that this feels like the start of something good.

He’s very confident that they should definitely win the west as well, although being the best team in the NFC West may not be something worth bragging about too much.

Knowing a thing or two about playing with great quarterbacks, Rice said that he was impressed by Alex Smith in the Harbaugh era so far, adding that Smith is at his best when all the pressure is not placed solely on him and that he seems to play stronger when paired with an offensive-minded coach.

Rice also was excited by the idea that the 49ers have finally been giving performances on the field that are worthy of San Francisco fans. “The fans have always been loyal,” he said. “You can feel the energy,” he continued, speaking of how necessary ardent fan support is to players.

Now working as an ESPN analyst, Rice’s support of the 49ers, and of Bay Area fans in particular, has always been steadfast. This positive review, however, has got to comfort those who dream of the 49ers returning to the notoriety (or at least the relevance) of the 80s and 90s teams that Rice was a part of.

Jerry Rice, no stranger to taking hits, was promoting the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress, a non-profit organization with the goal of elevating the image of the chiropractic profession.